AN INTRODUCTION TO THE GOSPEL

by Lowell L. Bennion

For the Sunday Schools

of

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Published by the Deseret Sunday School Union Board
135 South State Street
Salt Lake City, Utah 84111

1955
Etext prepared by Susan Pixley <nymormon@juno.com>

PART 1

INTRODUCTION

(Comprising Chapters 1 to 3)

CHAPTER 1

OUR FIELD OF STUDY

Religion is more than subject matter.  Feeling as well as reason must enter 
into a study and evaluation of religion.  The Apostle Paul realized the 
necessity of studying the things of God with the Spirit of God to assist us 
when he wrote:

"For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in 
him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is 
of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God."  
(1 Corinthians 2:11, 12)

THE SPIRIT OF OUR STUDY

As we study the religion of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 
let us do so critically with all our powers of mind at work.  Let us also, 
however, study in a spirit of humility with our hearts tuned to God, that 
through his inspiration we may know the falseness or truth of the ideas 
presented to us.  A great Jewish commentary on the Old Testament offers this 
advice:

"Just as water forsakes a high place and travels to a low one, just so do the 
words of Scripture find a resting place only in a man of humble spirit."1

1Talmud (Ta'anit, 7a).

Humility is a great need in the whole of life, and nowhere is it more 
rewarding than in the study and living of religion.  What do we mean by 
humility?  It is an attitude of open-mindedness, a childlike curiosity about 
things, a search for knowledge and understanding.  It also means to feel 
one's dependence on God, to feel one's spiritual need.2  The humble man does 
not have all the answers.  He is not self-sufficient.  He feels his need to 
learn, to improve, to grow, and to be taught and guided by others, and 
especially by God.

2Goodspeed's translation of the First Beatitude.

Each type of subject matter we study invites a somewhat different attitude of 
mind.  When we look up a word in the dictionary we anticipate a precise, 
clear-cut definition.  Our minds are critical and analytical as we study the 
meaning of words.  Likewise when we study the law or a textbook in one of the 
sciences, we do so in an objective and rational frame of mind.  We expect our 
subject matter to be accurate, logical, and precise.  In contrast, when we 
read poetry we concern ourselves little or not at all with the exact meaning 
of words nor with a cold analysis of each sentence.  We read poetry with 
feeling, seeking to catch the mood of the poet.  Our interest lies in the 
poem as a whole, to which we respond in feeling as well as in thought.

The basic source material for our study of religion is scripture.  The 
scriptures were not written as theological textbooks nor as dictionaries and 
commentaries.  They were written by religious men who were trying to honor 
God and to persuade men to believe in him and to do his will.  Some writers 
of scripture, like the Psalmists, the Prophets Amos and Isaiah, and the 
author of the Book of Job were poets.  In many of their writings feeling is 
the dominant tone.  All of them are deeply religious in both attitude and 
intent.3

3This is repeatedly stated by Book of Mormon authors.  See 1 Nephi 6:3-6; 2 
Nephi 33; and Jacob 1:2-8.

As we read the scriptures, we should do so in the spirit in which they were 
written.  Let us read the Psalms as poetry in the spirit of devotion and 
adoration.  As we read Job let us read with feeling for the deep sense of 
tragedy and yet trust in God which pervades this great work.  As we read any 
or all scripture let us do so in a spirit of reverence for God, seeking his 
Holy Spirit to guide is in its interpretation.

The truths of religion are learned gradually; they are not memorized quickly 
and once for all, like the multiplication tables.  Such words as faith, love, 
and God are just words which stand for great realities which they symbolize.  
Each one must become a growing concept in our experience.  Our understanding 
of God must grow and increase as we mature in life.  He may mean more and 
more to us through the years, yet we refer to him by the same name when we 
are four, twelve, twenty, or fifty years old.

The principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ we speak of as eternal truths.  
Love always has been, is, and ever will be the great principle of life, the 
first commandment, and the very heart of religion and life.  To God and 
Christ love is known in its fullness, but not to man.  We do not know its 
full meaning, but likely only a small part.  Our love is not pure.  It is 
mixed with self-love.  Our love is limited by our lack of understanding and 
experience in love.

There is a marked difference between a principle, such as love, and our 
understanding of it.  Just as the scientist knows that he comprehends only a 
small part of the universe which he is seeking to understand, so the student 
of religion should realize that he, too, is as a child before the great 
truths pertaining to God.  Even though the words denoting religion have been 
with us a long time, their meeting must be sought anew by each of us.  And 
they are so rich in meaning none of us shall ever exhaust their fullness, at 
least not in this life.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ might be likened unto a cool, everflowing mountain 
spring.  It is there before the thirsty hiker finds it.  Once there, the 
hiker lowers himself to drink of it freely and is refreshed.  But he does not 
drink the spring dry; he may return to it and drink thereof again and again.  
The Gospel is ever there for our study.  When we are sufficiently thirsty and 
humble, we partake of it and we are refreshed in mind and heart.  We never 
exhaust it.  It flows on, as it were, waiting for the humble of spirit to 
drink of it.

In the chapters which follow, we make no pretense of presenting the religion 
of the Latter-day Saints in its fullness.  This we know even before the work 
is written.  The religion Jesus Christ taught is much larger and more 
beautiful than our understanding of it.  Our study must be thought of as 
being only introductory, as a guide to further study.

Why, then, do we write?  Because we have been asked to prepare a course of 
study on this subject.  This we do gladly because we have come to appreciate 
deeply the Gospel of Jesus Christ as we have learned of it in the Church of 
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

This little work may lead some reader to enrich his understanding of the 
Gospel of Jesus Christ.  If it does, it will have fulfilled its purpose.  Let 
us -- the student, teacher, and writer -- be students together as we consider 
this brief course of study.

OUR FIELD OF STUDY

The religion of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a big and 
complex subject.  For the sake of clarity and simplicity, we are dividing the 
subject into four parts:

1. The Doctrines of the Church.

2. The Nature and Work of the Church.

3. Some Basic Characteristics of the Latter-day Saint Way of Life.

4. The Origin and Position of the Church among Other Religions of Mankind.

We shall present a brief description of each one of these divisions.

1. The Doctrines of the Church

A systematic study of the doctrines or beliefs of a church is called 
theology.  The word itself is Greek in origin and means the study of God.  
The heart of theology includes a study of God, the universe, and man.  
Christian theology includes also the doctrine of Christ and his way of 
bringing salvation to the children of men.

In this largest division of our course of study, we shall present the basic 
beliefs of the Latter-day Saints about (1) the nature, character, and work of 
God, (2) the nature, character, purpose and destiny of man, and (3) the life 
and mission of Jesus Christ.  Out of our study will come also a picture of 
man's relationship to God, Christ, and to fellow man.

The study of theology is a large and somewhat difficult undertaking.  Not 
only are humility and inspiration needed, but also common sense and wisdom.  
Our purpose in this study will be to present the fundamental doctrines of the 
Church as simply and clearly as possible.  We shall restrain the tendency, 
common to many of us, to speculate unduly and become involved in mysteries, 
"in things which lead not to edification."

It is important also in our study of theology to try to see things as a 
whole, various ideas in relationship to one another.  Any idea can stand 
alone.  It is when related ideas meet and live with each other that they must 
make sense to be true.  Our search in this study will be for a whole view of 
life -- for an understanding of God, man, and Christ in their relationship to 
one another.  When a business man considers his work, he does not consider 
each problem as being separate and apart from other problems, but considers 
them as parts of the whole.  Only thus can he work intelligently and 
successfully.  This is true of the work of the farmer, the doctor, or the 
housewife.  It is equally important as a guide to the student of theology.

Theology is by nature rational and quite abstract.  Definitions and 
statements of belief make up its subject matter.  Therefore, it can easily 
become technical, arid, and "bookish."  In the Bible and in additional 
Latter-day Saint scriptures, theology is never divorced from life.  The main 
emphasis in scripture is not theological, but religious, writers persuading 
men to worship and serve God and to deal justly and with mercy toward fellow 
men.  In our study we wish to be in harmony with the scriptures in this 
emphasis on functional theology.  We wish to see theology as a vital force in 
everyday life.

In summary, our study of theology in the first part of this manual will deal 
with our fundamental doctrines pertaining to God, Christ, and man.  We shall 
aim at a whole view and we shall study theology not simply in the abstract, 
but as it may become food and drink to us in our daily lives.

2. The Church

In Part 2 of this course we shall study the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints.  The Church is not to be confused with theology or with a 
meetinghouse or chapel.  The Church, like the family, the state, the army, a 
corporation, is a social institution.  It may be defined as a body of 
believers, organized and authorized to achieve God's purpose in the lives of 
men.  The most distinctive feature of the Church is its religious purpose and 
the particular powers and methods it has to achieve this divine purpose.

Religion is more than a private affair.  God wills that men shall pursue it 
together, lending each other moral support and fellowship in the great 
adventure of religious living.  Latter-day Saints know the benefits and the 
joy of working together in the work of God.  After we have studied the 
doctrines of the Church it will be interesting to study the Church itself, 
the social vehicle, a means by which we are trying to realize the doctrine in 
human life.

3. Some Characteristics of the "Mormon" Way of Life

Latter-day Saints are not only a body of believers with a purpose and with 
beliefs and doctrines, but also they are a people with a history and a 
culture uniquely their own.  From the blend of belief, Church life, and 
history, emerges what might be called the ethos of "Mormonism," or the 
Latter-day Saint way of life.  In Part 3 of our course we shall try to depict 
some of the emphases and ideals of Latter-day Saint living which need to be 
understood in order to appreciate the life of the Latter-day Saints, both as 
it is and as it aspires to be, for we live far short of the ideal.

4. The Origin and Position of the Church Among Other Religions of Mankind

Having studied previously the beliefs, Church organization and practice, and 
the way of life of the Latter-day Saints, in Part 4 we shall tell the story 
of the origin of the Church.  How did it come to be?  What place does the 
Church of Jesus Christ hold among the Christian religions and among the 
religions of mankind?  What is the mission of the Church?  What lies ahead?  
What is to be accomplished by God through this people?  A discussion of these 
and like important issues will conclude our study.

CHAPTER 2

THE MEANING AND VALUE OF FAITH

The religious man walks by faith.  Even as the artist lives by the expression 
of beauty or the scientist by the search for knowledge, the person of 
religious conviction lives by faith.  Nothing is more fundamental to religion 
than faith, unless it be love.  And it might be readily shown that love, in 
part, is the fruit of faith.

Faith is the dynamic force that illumines the pages of religious history.  
Great men of biblical times, from Abraham through Moses, David, Amos, Jesus 
to Peter and Paul were men of faith.  To Abraham, father of the people who 
established both the Hebrew and Christian religions, came the characteristic 
call of faith:

"Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy 
kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

"And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy 
name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

"And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and 
in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."  (Genesis 12:1-3)

And Paul, writing to the Romans near the close of his valiant career as a 
missionary and sufferer for Christ's sake exults in his Christian faith in 
these words:

"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor 
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

"Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us 
from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  (Romans 8:38, 39)

Jesus spoke again and again of faith, sometimes in rebuke, but more often by 
way of comfort and encouragement.  How familiar are such sayings of his!

"Go thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole."  (Mark 10:52; Luke 17:19)

"If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed … nothing shall be impossible 
unto you."4  (Matthew 17:20; Luke 17:6)

4In quotations of scripture throughout this work, the italics used are the 
author's.

"Oh ye of little faith."  (Matthew 6:30; Luke 12:28)

"Where is thy faith?"

Not everyone can accept the principle of faith as Jesus and the prophets did.  
In our modern age many people look with skepticism at religion because so 
much of it seems to be founded on faith.  To them faith is something vague, 
mysterious or unreal, a figment of imagination, and at best a poor substitute 
for knowledge.

Since faith does play such a vital role in religion, it is important that we 
delve into it at the outset.  We shall want a few questions answered:  Does 
the foundation of faith mean that the religious life, like a house, is built 
upon rock or upon sand?  Is to live by faith a weakness?  Is the attitude of 
faith peculiar to religion?  Is faith a poor substitute for knowledge?  To 
get at these and many like questions, we must first define the meaning of 
faith.

THE MEANING OF FAITH

We understand things best by comparison and by contrast with other somewhat 
familiar and related things.  We therefore shall define three terms often 
used in conjunction with one another:  knowledge, belief, and faith.5

5The definitions given here are not final, nor complete, nor perfect.  Like 
all definitions, they are somewhat arbitrary and are to be accepted if 
useful, clear, and helpful in reaching understanding.

Knowledge is awareness of things (of reality) through repeated and verifiable 
experience.  We say we know a thing if it has happened under like 
circumstances again and again.  We have seen it repeatedly with our own eyes, 
heard it with our own ears, and we have been able to communicate this common 
experience intelligibly to others.

Knowledge, as commonly used, is the fruit of experience and of thinking.  
Knowledge is rational.  It is based on experiences which are interpreted by 
the mind.

We have confidence in knowledge, in things that have happened again and again 
under like conditions.  We know that day follows night and (in temperate 
zones) that spring follows winter, and that death follows birth.  We know 
that two plus two equals four.  This formula has worked for us from the time 
we were in the first or second grade.

Belief is closely related to knowledge.  It, too, is the product of thinking 
and observation.  Belief is not as certain as knowledge.  We say we believe 
something will take place when we are not sure enough to say "we know."  
Belief is like a little child learning to walk.  it is not sure of its 
footing.  When a person says he believes it will rain, he is not sure.  He 
means that it is his guess that it will rain, or that it is more likely than 
not to rain.  Belief is a state of mind in which a man does not have enough 
knowledge or experience to be certain.  He does not know.  He is thinking in 
terms of probability or likelihood, depending on the degree of certainty of 
his belief.  Thus belief and knowledge belong to the same family.  Both are 
rational conclusions, intellectual conclusions of one kind or another, belief 
being the weaker and less certain of the two states of mind.

Faith is something quite different from both knowledge and belief.  This is 
indicated in two statements about the nature of faith found in scripture:

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not 
seen."  (Hebrews 11:1)

"… faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have 
faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true."  (Alma 32:21; 
note verses 17-21)

In these statements faith is identified with hope.  In an attitude of faith 
we hope for things which we have not yet seen, experienced, nor realized 
through repeated and verifiable experiences.  Hope is one ingredient of 
faith.  It might be called a weak or mild form of faith which, however, 
indicates to us the essential character of faith.

Faith, unlike belief and knowledge, is essentially feeling, an affective 
state lying somewhere between hope and certitude or complete assurance.  When 
we live by faith, we feel that something not seen is real or that something 
not yet accomplished will be accomplished.  For example, a young couple plan 
to be married.  They have only limited knowledge of each other and of 
marriage.  Their marriage is an act of faith in the venture and in each 
other.  They hope and likely feel assured that their forthcoming experience 
will prove successful.  They cannot know it rationally with certainty.

Faith, unlike knowledge, always points to the future.  We know things from 
the past, and the future we know only as it is quite certain to repeat the 
past, such as the course of the "starry heavens above."  In faith and by 
faith we go beyond our knowledge and face the future -- that which "eye hath 
not seen nor ear heard," the unknown, the not yet accomplished, that which is 
yet to be.  Where knowledge fails us, we have no choice but to live by faith.

Faith, unlike belief, always involves action.  We have many beliefs which do 
not express themselves in action.  You may believe that the Cadillac 
automobile is preferable to a Lincoln or vice versa.  You are in no position 
to purchase either, so your idea remains in the realm of belief.  It is pure 
intellectual speculation or fancy.

In contrast, man lives by faith.  Faith is belief turned into action, feeling 
that motivates one to do something, to work and live as though something were 
true or real or were going to become real.  Well did James write:

"Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone."  (James 2:17)

Faith without works is merely belief.  As soon as we act on our belief it 
turns to faith.  This thought is well stated as follows:

"Faith is at once an affirmation of truth and surrendering to the truth 
affirmed.  Apart from the first it would be blind; apart from the second, 
without practical significance."  (Morgan, Encyclopedia of Religion and 
Ethics)

FAITH AND KNOWLEDGE

Faith and knowledge are both essential elements in the life of man.  Each has 
its peculiar limitations as well as its unique strength.  Let us consider the 
merits of each in relation to the other.  This will help us to appreciate 
both.

Knowledge has certain advantages over faith.  Based on repeated past 
experience and observation, it brings a sense of security and certainty into 
one's life.  It thereby eliminates much superstition and fear and enables us 
to cope successfully with many aspects of our environment.  In pioneer days a 
mother of our acquaintance lost all five of her children from diphtheria in 
three week's time.  Because of increased knowledge of the nature and control 
of diphtheria today, we inoculate children and are not concerned with this 
particular disease.  The fact that the cause and cure have not been fully 
established for other dread afflictions such as polio, multiple sclerosis and 
cancer, creates in us a sense of insecurity in relation to them.

Knowledge is more tangible, more factual, more specific and concrete.  It is 
usually something definite, understandable, and therefore communicable.  
Ideas are more constant than emotions and lend themselves more readily to 
description and communication.

We live in a world of things, persons, and laws.  Knowledge is a most helpful 
means of living in our kind of world.  Ignorance is blind and can easily lead 
us to serious maladjustments and frustration.  Therefore, wise is the person 
who seeks after truth in every important sphere of life.

Well did Jesus say to Pilate:

"… To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I 
should bear witness unto the truth."  (John 18:37, 38)

And on another occasion, he spoke similarly to those who believed on him:

"If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall 
know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."  (John 8:31, 32)6

6Note also Hosea 6:4-6.

Jesus knew that we need to live by knowledge as well as by faith, and was 
confident that He knew the laws important to man's moral and spiritual life.  
Some well-known passages in Latter-day Saint scripture, which stress the 
importance of knowledge, are:

"It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance."  (Doctrine and 
Covenants 131:6)

"The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth."  
(Doctrine and Covenants 93:36)

"And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of 
wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, 
even by study and also by faith."  (Doctrine and Covenants 88;118)

"But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God."  (2 
Nephi 9:29)7

7Note also Doctrine and Covenants 88:34-35 and 77-80.

Knowledge is essential to an understanding of life, to the satisfaction of 
human needs, and to the realization of human values and goals.  In every 
worthwhile endeavor we should seek after knowledge and not be content until 
we find it.  Progress in any field -- in health, engineering, agriculture, 
and also in the religious life -- has been dependent in good part on 
knowledge of the laws of nature and of God and their application to human 
life.

We should not be content to live by faith alone if knowledge is obtainable.  
We had better know how much gas there is in the tank than to drive on "in 
faith."  We had better know if a prospective business associate is honest and 
capable rather than to enter into a partnership on faith.  A girl had better 
know through tangible evidence that her prospective husband is ambitious, 
hard-working, and honest than to be content to exercise a simple faith in 
these and related attributes of character.  Faith is a poor substitute for 
knowledge when knowledge is available.

Knowledge has its limitations.  It is geared to the past, and though it casts 
its light on the present and the future, it is never sufficient to meet the 
demands of the present and the future.  The unknown ever looms larger than 
the known.  And this is where faith comes in, not to displace knowledge, not 
to wage war with knowledge, but to lead us beyond its borders.

Faith has its advantages and disadvantages in relation to knowledge.  It is 
not always as certain as knowledge.  Sometimes we place our faith in the 
wrong person or in an erroneous idea, and then we are disillusioned and 
sometimes hurt.  Faith, too, is more difficult to communicate to others 
because it is more personal and subjective, more a matter of feeling and 
intuition.

On the other hand, faith is more adventurous than knowledge.  It is an 
attitude toward life for the young in heart, for the courageous, the brave, 
the daring and for those who affirm life in all of its wonderful 
possibilities.  Knowledge is geared to the past, faith to the future.  The 
most exciting things about knowledge are the quest for it and its application 
to life.  Both the quest and the application are intimately related to faith.  
Knowledge, once learned and reviewed, is repetitious.

In the realm of knowledge we conform to life; in the realm of faith we create 
life.  We fashion it after the image we carry in our own heart or 
imagination.  People of faith create and fashion life after the image of 
their own faith.  Where there is a sound faith like that possessed by Jesus, 
Pasteur, Washington, Lincoln, and the Curies, life is made better for their 
vision of faith which became fulfilled in knowledge and history.  As William 
James said:  "The faith-state is the sense of the exceedingness of the 
possible over the real."8  By faith, we act without knowing the outcome of our 
action, but with the assurance that it will be realized according to our hope 
or vision.  Thus people of faith keep pushing back the horizons of knowledge 
to accomplish much that is good, depending on the object and quality of their 
faith.

8Varieties of Religious Experience.

FAITH ESSENTIAL

Faith we must have to live today and to anticipate the morrow.  In life as a 
whole, faith is as important as knowledge, and vice versa.  We have no need 
to choose between them.  We need to gain all the knowledge we can, and then 
push out by the light of faith beyond the limits of knowledge.  And we will 
do well to have our faith take cognizance of all the experience and knowledge 
available, and act in harmony with it lest our faith be blind and never 
realized.

The important question is not:  Shall we live by faith?  This we must do.  
The important question is:  In what shall we have faith?  Another related is 
this:  How does religious faith differ from faith experienced in other fields 
of life -- in science, art, and everyday life?  To these questions we shall 
turn in our next lesson.

CHAPTER 3

RELIGIOUS FAITH

Faith, as defined in Chapter 2, is not limited to religion.  In every walk of 
life, we live in the present and look to the future, we necessarily exercise 
faith -- live in anticipation of accomplishments and realities which we have 
not yet known.  The attitude of faith is necessary in all human 
relationships, in marriage, in business, in sports, in politics, in war, in 
peace, in mental health.

Even science and philosophy, which place so much value on the use of reason, 
are based on certain assumptions of faith.  The scientist, for example, 
places great trust in his senses, believing that they report quite accurately 
the world about us.  He believes also in a world of law and order, of cause 
and effect.  He believes he can think and that thinking is worth while.  
These assumptions, he feels, have been verified through science.  Still they 
remain assumptions.  The doctor assumes that life is worth living.  He cannot 
prove it with all his science.  But this is the faith which underlies all of 
his work in the highly-honored practice of medicine.

Religion has no monopoly on faith.  Nor is the experience of faith in 
religion wholly different from the experience of faith in everyday life.  In 
both instances we are facing the future and the unknown with a feeling of 
hope and assurance.  Religious faith is characterized largely by a difference 
in its object.  Let us illustrate:

CHARACTERISTICS OF RELIGIOUS FAITH

1.  Religion is a source of faith in the meaning of life as a whole.  In 
daily life and in the specialized sciences, we usually express faith in some 
particular thing or process.  In religion, in contrast, we are mostly 
concerned with the meaning of man's whole existence, his very life.  Is the 
universe about us indifferent to man's fate or is there an intelligent Being 
who is working out his benevolent purposes in human life?  Most religions are 
based on the faith that life is not a matter of chance, not the result of the 
operation of impersonal forces, but the fruit of divine wisdom and planning.  
For example:

"The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he 
established the heavens.

"By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.

"My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and 
discretion:

"So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.

"Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.

"When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, 
and thy sleep shall be sweet.

"Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when 
it cometh.

"For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being 
taken."  (Proverbs 3:19-26)

It is the feeling about the universe as a whole and the meaning of man's life 
in it which characterizes the religious faith found in the scriptures.  The 
Psamlist voices this kind of faith again and again.

"<<To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.>> O LORD, thou hast searched me, 
and known me.

"Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought 
afar off.

"Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my 
ways.

"For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it 
altogether.

"Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

"Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

"Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy 
presence?

"If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, 
behold, thou art there.

"If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the 
sea;

"Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
"If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light 
about me.

"Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: 
the darkness and the light are both alike to thee."  (Psalm 139:1-12)

The same faith is expressed in a meaningful passage in the Book of Mormon:

"Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from 
his hand.  For behold, ye yourself know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in 
justice, and in great mercy, over all his works."  (Jacob 4:10)

The man of religious faith believes that life is meaningful and potentially 
good, because it is the creation of God who "counseleth in wisdom, and in 
justice, and in great mercy over all his works."

This religious faith in the meaning of life is stated effectively by the 
great American philosopher, W. P. Montague, who writes that religion is the 
faith that "the great things that matter most in life are not at the mercy of 
things that matter least."9  By this he seems to mean that the things men 
cherish most and believe to be of greatest worth, such as truth, beauty and 
goodness or love, integrity and knowledge, are not at the mercy of the 
impersonal forces of nature.  Though all human life on the face of the earth 
were destroyed by natural or human catastrophe, truth, beauty, and goodness 
would live on.  They are more than human qualities.  They are attributes of 
God.  And, we might add, they belong to the minds of men, too, which can and 
do survive death.

9See his Belief Unbound, Yale University Press, 1930, pp. 6 and 7.

According to our Christian faith, man's life on earth is purposeful, a part 
of a divine and eternal plan.  And, though we don't have all the answers 
about many particulars, our religion sustains us in our positive feeling of 
faith toward the whole of life.  The religion of the Latter-day Saints is 
extremely strong and affirmative in its acceptance of life as a whole.  This 
will be clearly shown in subsequent lessons.

2. A second characteristic of religious faith, closely allied to the first, 
we may call a total commitment.  Just as religion is an attitude of faith in 
the overall meaning and purpose of life, it is also a total and complete 
commitment to his faith on the part of the true believer.

In daily life we commit ourselves to some task or to some obligation again 
and again.  We sign contracts, make loans, register for courses of study, 
promise to love, honor, and cherish one another in marriage, swear an oath of 
allegiance to the Constitution of our country.  These are individual and 
specific commitments some of which are only of short duration.  None of them 
embraces our complete feeling about the whole of life.

Religious faith means the dedication of one's whole life, "in search, 
reverence and service" to the object of one's faith, to the great purpose of 
life.10  Religion means a commitment of the whole self to that which is 
supreme, highest, and best in life and in the universe.  Religious faith is 
no partial, limited, or temporary loyalty.  It is a devotion to the whole of 
life in its highest spiritual meaning now and forever, as long as religious 
faith is real.  This complete commitment is indicated and encouraged often in 
scripture.

10This will be discussed in a later chapter.

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

"And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy 
soul, and with all thy might.

"And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

"And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of 
them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and 
when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

"And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as 
frontlets between thine eyes.

"And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates."  
(Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
"Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, 
and saying,

"Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, 
and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

"This is the first and great commandment.

"And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

"On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."  (Matthew 
22:35-40)

"O, remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youth 
to keep the commandments of God.

"Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto 
the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all 
thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart 
be placed upon the Lord forever.

"Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; 
yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch 
over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be 
full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at 
the last day."  (Alma 37:35-37)

Jesus' words to Nicodemus, who came to him by night wishing to know how to 
enter into the kingdom of God, illustrate the very wholeness of religious 
conviction.  Jesus said to him, "Verily, verily I say unto thee, Except a man 
be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  (John 3:3)

Nicodemus was confused, thinking Jesus meant to be born again of his mother 
in the flesh.  But Jesus had reference to finding a new faith, becoming a new 
person in one's religious and moral outlook, living a new spiritual life.  
Baptism by water and the gift of the Holy Ghost were means of bearing witness 
to and helping man to be spiritually reborn.

3. Religious faith is idealistic and aspirational.  All the great religions 
of mankind are striving to help men be better persons, to live on a higher 
moral plane, to forsake hate, greed, selfishness, and to be just, kind and 
merciful toward fellow men.  Isaiah's plea for God is typical of this 
characteristic of religious faith:

"Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine 
eyes; cease to do evil;

"Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the 
fatherless, plead for the widow."  (Isaiah 1:16-17)

The entire Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, is a call to idealistic and 
nobler living which even challenges man to be like God in his impartiality 
and love -- "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven 
is perfect."  (Matthew 5:8, note verses 43-48)

Faith in the improvement of human nature, in man's perfectibility, slow, 
long, and discouraging though it be, is implicit in the Hebrew, early 
Christian, and Latter-day Saint faiths.  This is not only true of individuals 
but also it is the goal of society.  Prophets of God have been concerned 
continuously with the establishment of a righteous people of Zion, a social 
condition among men where justice, mercy, peace, and good will may prevail.  
For example:

"But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house 
of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be 
exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.
"And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain 
of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of 
his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, 
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

"And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; 
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into 
pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall 
they learn war any more.

"But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none 
shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.

"For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk 
in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever."  (Micah 4:1-5)

4. Another characteristic of religious faith is this:  It involves the will; 
it calls for great moral and spiritual action in the life of an individual.  
Religious faith brings one's whole moral effort into functioning.  When we, 
in faith, project a hypothesis in science to explain the facts, we are simply 
exercising the imagination, acting upon intellectual hunches and curiosity.  
When we act in business on faith, we do so for economic gain and perhaps in 
the spirit of adventure.  Neither in business nor in science is man required 
often to exercise his full moral or spiritual capacities.  Religious faith, 
in contrast, calls for great self-discipline, self-control, humility, 
repentance, meekness, and other attributes of character.

5. Religious faith, in some respects, is not easily nor completely 
verifiable.  In the great fundamentals of religion we shall ever walk by 
faith.  Some principles of religion can be verified through experience and 
observation in everyday life.  The whole of religion need not be accepted on 
faith.  We learn from history and personal living the fruits of hate, greed, 
selfishness, theft, and like evils, as also the good fruits of self-control, 
kindness, mercy, honesty, and love.  Our faith in the ideals of religion can 
be verified again and again and can grow into certain knowledge.

AVENUES OF FAITH

1. In our faith in God and immortality we shall ever walk by faith.  That 
faith may grow from hope into certitude.  And the spirit of God or the Holy 
Ghost can bear witness to our hearts to give us great assurance.  But we must 
still exercise faith in things we have not seen or heard or known in the same 
tangible and objective way by which we can know the principles of religious 
living.  There is a light and influence going forth from Deity, which 
inclines the minds and hearts of men to believe and to want to do good.

"And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who 
enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your 
understandings;

"Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity 
of  space -- 

"The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is 
the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth 
upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all 
things."  (D&C 88;11-13)

"For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know 
good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a 
perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night.

"For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know 
good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing 
which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent 
forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect 
knowledge it is of God.  

"Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in 
the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold 
upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of 
Christ."  (Moroni 7:15, 16, 19)

It lies within the power of man to receive or to reject the influence of the 
Spirit of God.  The gift of faith, like a muscle, becomes strong with use, 
weak with neglect.

2. A second avenue to faith is study.  The scriptures contain many beautiful 
stories, many reflections on life, much wise counsel; much evidence of God's 
dealings with his prophets, and great truths to which our minds and hearts 
respond with faith.  Our own experience in life will confirm much that we 
read in scripture.  And the Spirit of God will also bear witness of its truth 
and worth.  This it cannot do, however, unless we expose ourselves to the 
Word and make ourselves receptive to its influence.  Jesus said:  "Ask, and 
it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened 
unto you."  (Matthew 7:7)

3. A sure way to build faith is to live by faith.  Even as we know flavor by 
taste, so we can also come to feel and know in our hearts the truth and worth 
of religion by partaking of it.  Jesus said "to those Jews which believed on 
him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall 
know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."  (John 8:31, 32)

"Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.

"And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never 
learned?

"Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent 
me.

"If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of 
God, or whether I speak of myself.

"He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his 
glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him."  
(John 7:14-18)

One learns the value of work by working, of play by playing, of food by 
eating; and one learns the value of faith by exercising faith, of love by 
trying to love fellow men.  Even so, if one would have faith in God, he must 
at least say to himself, "It could be that he lives.  I shall give the idea a 
fair trial.  I shall do his will.  I shall read the scriptures, especially 
the life of Jesus, and I shall try to live as he says God would have me live.  
If there is anything to religion, I shall at least give it a fair chance in 
my life."

This need for growth, gradual growth, in faith is explained in an interesting 
chapter in the Book of Mormon.  The writer is fair.  He suggests that one 
exercise only enough belief to make an experiment with faith.  Read carefully 
his words:

"But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an 
experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye 
can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until 
ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.

"Now, we will compare the word unto a seed.  Now, if ye give place, that a 
seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good 
seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the 
Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and 
when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves 
-- It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for 
it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my 
understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.

"Now behold, would not this increase your faith?  I say unto you, Yea; 
nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge.

"But behold, as the seed swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, then 
you must needs say that the seed is good; for behold it swelleth, and 
sprouteth, and beginneth to grow.  And now, behold, will not this strengthen 
your faith?  Yea, it will strengthen your faith:  for ye will say I know that 
this is a good seed; for behold it sprouteth and beginneth to grow.

"And now, behold, are ye sure that this is a good seed?  I say unto you, Yea; 
for every seed bringeth forth unto its own likeness.

"Therefore, if a seed groweth it is good, but if it groweth not, behold it is 
not good, therefore it is cast away.

"And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and planted the seed, 
and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, ye must needs know that 
the seed is good.

"And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect?  Yea, your knowledge is perfect 
in that thing, and your faith is dormant; and this because you know, for ye 
know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye also know that it hath 
sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your 
mind doth begin to expand.

"O then, is not this real?  I say unto you, Yea, because it is light; and 
whatsoever is light, is good, because it is discernible, therefore ye must 
know that it is good; and now behold, after ye have tasted this light is your 
knowledge perfect?

"Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither must ye lay aside your faith, for ye 
have only exercised your faith to plant the seed that ye might try the 
experiment to know if the seed was good.

"And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say:  Let us nourish it 
with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth 
fruit unto us.  And now behold, if ye nourish it with much care it will get 
root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit.

"But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold 
it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth 
it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it 
out.

"Now, this is not because the seed was not good, neither is it because the 
fruit thereof would not be desirable; but it is because your ground is 
barren, and ye will not nourish the tree, therefore ye cannot have the fruit 
thereof.

"And thus, if ye will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of 
faith to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit of the tree of 
life.

"But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to 
grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward 
to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree 
springing up unto everlasting life.

"And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word 
in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall 
pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all 
that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure 
above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are 
filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.

"Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your 
diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring 
forth fruit unto you.

PART 2

THE LATTER-DAY SAINT CONCEPT OF GOD

(Comprising Chapters 4-7)

CHAPTER 4

GOD LIVES

God is far greater than we can adequately describe.  His full nature and 
sublime character are far beyond our complete grasp.  Learning to know him is 
an eternal quest.  Knowing this, we approach the subject of the nature of God 
in a spirit of reverence and humility, acknowledging that our loftiest 
conception of God is but indicative of what he really is.  The difference 
between what God is and our view of him is indicated in the following 
scriptures:

"Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and 
let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our 
God, for he will abundantly pardon. 

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith 
the LORD.

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than 
your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."  (Isaiah 55:6-9)

"Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in 
heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in 
heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things 
which the Lord can comprehend."  (Mosiah 4:9)

In the closing chapters of the Book of Job (38 to 41:5), Job is made to 
realize and acknowledge how little he knows compared with the knowledge of 
his Creator.  In the light of God's knowledge and creation, Job confesses:

"Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered 
that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.

"Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."  (Job 42:3, 6)

While it is true that we cannot know God fully and should ever be humble and 
reserved in our statements about him, it is also important that we do come to 
know him as fully as we can.  Shortly before the Savior's arrest and trial, 
he offered a beautiful prayer to his Father in behalf of his disciples and 
all who might believe in him.  In it he said:

"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and 
Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."  (John 17:3)

Jesus also said, in answer to the question, "Master, which is the great 
commandment in the law (of Moses11)?"

11Author's addition.

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, 
and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."  (Matthew 22:37)

How can we love sincerely and fully that which we do not know and do not 
understand?  While we cannot know the Father fully, we ought to try to grow 
and to increase in our knowledge of him, for a knowledge and love of God is 
the very heart of our Christian faith.

We do not know nearly all there is to know about God.  This we freely 
acknowledge.  Admitting this fact, it is important, indeed, that we have some 
knowledge of him and that the knowledge we do have is true as far as it goes.  
The physician does not know all about the human body.  This we know for sure.  
Our hope and faith is that what he does know about the body is quite true.  
The same is true of our knowledge of God.  Limited though it is, it ought to 
be true as far as it goes.  Our knowledge of God ought to be consistent with 
that which he really is.  Otherwise, how can we serve him or love him 
fruitfully?  Our concern in this and the next few chapters will be to single 
out a few tremendously important things about God in which we Latter-day 
Saints do believe, things on which we can build a religious and moral life 
with complete assurance, and in which we can grow and improve in our 
relationship with God.  The knowledge we do have of God has come through 
revelation from him and other members of Deity, and is also confirmed in many 
ways by our own reason and experience in life.

GOD IS PERSONAL

The word God, is used freely and loosely by men in all fields.  It stands for 
many things, for law, mind, force, nature, love, goodness, highest value, a 
Person, or even the unknown.  The word itself stands for different things in 
the minds of poets, scientists, philosophers, prophets, and even men in the 
street.

In the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as understood by the Latter-
day Saints, God is not an abstract ideal or idea; he is not simply a law, a 
force, or nature; he is not the great mysterious unknown.  He is a living 
God, a conscious, sentient, intelligent Being, a Person with whom we 
associate the highest attributes of personality – intelligence, creativeness, 
goodness, integrity, mercy and love.  All the prophets make us feel that God 
is real, an objective Personality in his own right.  He thinks, purposes, 
creates, loves, suffers, and acts.  To them he is Creator, Judge, Helper, and 
the Father.  Such appellations do not apply to law, principle, ideal, or 
nature.

If God were not personal, prayer would be quite meaningless.  Prayer implies 
communication and response between two persons.  We do not pray to nature, 
law, or an ideal.  Such things we simply try to understand and accommodate 
ourselves to them.  In contrast, how intimate and personal is the feeling we 
have when we read the Psalms!

“<<A Psalm of David.>> The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still 
waters.

“He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his 
name’s sake.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no 
evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

“Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou 
anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I 
will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”  (Psalm 23:1-6)

How personal the Creator was in the mind and heart of Jesus is clearly 
evident from the Gospels:

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, 
Hallowed be thy name.

“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

“Give us this day our daily bread.

“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the 
kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”  (Matthew 6:9-13)

The tendency in the history of Christianity has been to de-personalize God, 
to speak of him in terms of such abstract concepts as the Absolute, First 
Cause, Prime Mover.  The tendency has been to make of God something wholly 
other than man.  This is illustrated in a passage from the celebrated 
theological work of John Calvin, the great theologian of the Protestant 
Reformation:

“Man is utterly corrupt and depraved, and humility alone becomes him in the 
presence of God, who is all that he is not.  To know God is to be struck with 
horror and amazement, for then and only then does one realize one’s own true 
character.”  (Institutes, Bk. 11, Chap. 3)

MAN – IN THE IMAGE OF GOD

Latter-day Saints hold to a simple faith, one that is clearly and frequently 
proclaimed in the scriptures.  The Bible, in the beautiful story of creation, 
states:

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them 
have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and 
over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that 
creepeth upon the earth.

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; 
male and female created he them.”  (Genesis 1:26, 27)

Man is much less than God, but not wholly different.  To the contrary, man is 
in the very image of God, born to think, suffer, to be free, knowing good and 
evil, for “Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil:”  
(Genesis 3:22); and to create, to do good, to love.  Man is in the spiritual 
image of his Creator and Father.  Man’s glory is his personality, in his 
qualities of mind and heart.  God, too, is personal.  His glory is also the 
glory of personality, intelligence, freedom, creation, integrity, and love.

Jesus spoke of God in highly personal terms.  To him God was a loving and 
just Father, dwelling in the heavens.  Jesus Christ came and dwelt among men 
to reveal to them the nature and character of the Father.  This he did both 
by precept and example.  This, too, he knew he had done, as is clearly stated 
in the Gospel fo John:

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

“In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told 
you. I go to prepare a place for you.

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you 
unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

“And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

“Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we 
know the way?

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh 
unto the Father, but by me.

“If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth 
ye know him, and have seen him.

“Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

“Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou 
not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how 
sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
“Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words 
that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in 
me, he doeth the works.

“Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me 
for the very works’ sake.”  (John 14:1-11)

This passage is interpreted variously among men.  Some think it means simply 
that God is love and Jesus, having taught and lived by love so perfectly, 
became the revelation of God (or love) to mankind.  This we believe, is too 
narrow an interpretation.  God is more than love; he is also Creator, 
Revelator, and Judge.  Jesus’ own personality was far richer than that of 
lover, great as Christian love is.  Personality is not exhausted in one word, 
not even in love.  Persons also think, learn, create, and do justly.  Jesus 
was the revelation of the character of God in all of his attributes.

Latter-day Saints go one step further.  Not only is man in the spiritual 
image of God; but also he is created physically in the image of God.  This 
may seem strange and even shocking to many, but wait and suspend judgment for 
a moment.  This does not mean that God is man or in the image of man.  No, 
God was not created in the image of man.  We do not reduce God to man; we do 
not humanize God and ascribe to him the frailties and limitations of man.  
God is much more than man, but man is in his image.  In 1820, Joseph Smith in 
a humble prayer of faith, asked God which was the true Christian faith.  In 
answer to that prayer, the boy received a heavenly manifestation in which the 
Father and the Son appeared to him.  This is his later description of his 
experience:

“When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and 
glory defy all description, standing above me in the air.  One of them spoke 
unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other -- This is my 
Beloved Son.  Hear Him!”  (Joseph Smith-History 1:17)

The young prophet modestly and reverently said of the Father and Son:  “… 
whose brightness and glory defy all description.”  Still he reported that God 
the Father, like the Son, Jesus Christ, was a Personage (old English for 
person).  The Prophet saw him and heard him.  God has form in the likeness of 
which man’s very body was created.  God, too, exists in time and space.  We, 
his children, are potentially like him in nature and in spirit.

In a revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1843, it is declared:

“The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also; 
but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of 
Spirit.  Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us.”  (D&C 130:22)

Biblical accounts of the manifestation of the Father or of the Father and Son 
we take literally.  For example, at the baptism of Jesus, reference is made 
to the Father, “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, 
in whom I am well pleased.”  (Matthew 3:17)

Again, when Stephen was preaching in the early days of the Christian Church 
and men

“gnashed on him with their teeth.

“But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and 
saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

“And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on 
the right hand of God.”  (Acts 7:54-56)

Of Moses, founder, under God, of the nation of Israel, it is written:

“And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord 
knew face to face.”  (Deuteronomy 34:10)

“And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his 
friend.”  (Exodus 33:11)

Man was created in the image of God, both physically and spiritually, in his 
entire personality.  And while God is infinitely more glorious than man in 
every way, still man is a child of God, made in his image with unlimited 
possibilities to grow and increase in the likeness of him who is his Father 
and Creator.

CHAPTER 5

THREE PERSONS IN THE GODHEAD

The first Article of Faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 
reads:

“We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in 
the Holy Ghost.”

These are three separate persons, as distinct from one another as three human 
beings are.

In the early creeds of Christendom, the personalities of the Godhead became 
merged in one.  God the Father was spoken of as the invisible of the Son, and 
the Son as the manifestation of the Father.  Three in one or one Person in 
three became the inexplicable mystery of the Godhead.

Latter-day Saints believe that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are unified in 
purpose and one in influence for good, but that they remain separate and 
distinct persons, each with his own personality, work, and mission in 
relation to man.  God the Father is the supreme intelligence, the head, 
worshipped and honored by Jesus, by the Holy Ghost, and by men.  Jesus Christ 
is the Son of God, chosen to lead the children of men, his brethren, to 
salvation and eternal life.  The Holy Ghost bears witness of the Father and 
the Son and guides mankind to understand and live the teachings of the Son.

In this lesson we shall endeavor to show that the Bible clearly teaches that 
there are three distinct persons in the Godhead.  Then we shall see more 
fully in what sense the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are one.

THREE DISTINCT PERSONS

At the baptism of Jesus, as already indicated in the preceding chapter, all 
three members of the Godhead were present and are spoken of as being distinct 
from one another:  Jesus was baptized in the river Jordan.  There he stood 
and "… when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water:"  The Holy 
Ghost was present, "… and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw 
the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:"  And the 
Father spoke from the heavens:  "And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is 
my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  (Matthew 3:13-17)12

12Mark and Luke bear the same witness as Matthew.

In the Gospel of John, Chapters 14, 15, and 16, is a record of some of the 
sayings of Jesus shortly before his crucifixion.  He knew of his impending 
death.  His disciples, too, must have sensed in some measure the tragedy of 
the hour, for he said unto them:  "Let not your heart be troubled:  ye 
believe in God, believe also in me."  (John 14:1)

The main theme of these chapters is this:  Jesus is about to leave his 
disciples and return unto the Father, but he will not leave them alone, for 
he will ask the Father to send unto them "the Comforter, which is the Holy 
Ghost."  Here it is stated clearly and repeatedly that Jesus is leaving the 
Twelve, going unto the Father, who will send to them the Holy Ghost.  We 
select a few passages from these chapters.13

13The earnest student will go directly to John 14-16 to catch the whole 
emphasis in these chapters.

"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he 
may abide with you for ever;
"Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth 
him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and 
shall be in you."  (John 14:16-17)

"These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my 
name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your 
remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."  (John 14:25-26)

"But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, 
even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify 
of me:"  (John 15:26)

"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: 
for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, 
I will send him unto you.

"And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, 
and of judgment:"  (John 16:7-8)

Jesus said:  "It is expedient for you that I go away:  for if I go not away, 
the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto 
you."  (John 16:7)

THE FATHER AND THE SON DISTINCT

There are numerous passages in the Gospels in which Jesus speaks of God the 
Father as a Person separate and distinct from himself.  This is particularly 
true in his prayer life.

"In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, 
Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and 
prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed 
good in thy sight.

"All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son 
is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the 
Son will reveal him."  (Luke 10:21-22)

"And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto 
Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is 
willing, but the flesh is weak.

"He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this 
cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done."  
(Matthew 26:36-42)

The Lord's prayer, which begins, "Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed by 
thy name," not only speaks of the Father being in heaven while Jesus was here 
upon the earth, but also identifies the Savior with men.  He and we alike are 
children of God and are to call him Father.

Perhaps the passage which most clearly distinguishes the Savior from his 
Father is the following:

"And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall 
I do, that I may have eternal life?

"And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, 
that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."  
(Matthew 19:16-17)

Jesus acknowledged the supreme and unique goodness of the Father.  In 
reverent humility he wished men to distinguish between himself and the 
Father, whom he loved and worshiped.  Were the Father and Son one in nature, 
single in being, such a distinction could not well be made.  But of the Son 
it is written:  "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with 
God and man."  (Luke 2:52)

Jesus wanted his followers to know that he came of God, and spoke for the 
Father, not himself.  Why would such an emphasis be necessary if they were 
one God?

"Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.

"And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never 
learned? 

"Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent 
me.

"If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of 
God, or whether I speak of myself.

"He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his 
glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him."  
(John 7:14-18)

What kind of vision did courageous Stephen behold when he preached the Christ 
to the angry mob who "gnashed on him with their teeth?"

"But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and 
saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

"And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on 
the right hand of God."  (Acts 7:55-56)

Did Stephen behold the Father and the Son, or is such a passage not to be 
taken literally or as being honest in intent?

A careful reading of any or all of the Gospels will reveal the fact that 
while Jesus was on the earth the Father was in heaven and that Jesus spoke of 
him and to him as a separate and distinct person, the object of his full 
loyalty and love.  This is the obvious conclusion to be drawn from the great 
majority of passages which contain references to the Father and the Son.

THE FATHER AND SON ARE ONE

The Gospel of John is somewhat different in language and emphasis from the 
other three Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke.  These latter three are called 
synoptic Gospels because they are similar in purpose and arrangement.  Each 
tells the story of the Savior from the beginning of his life to the 
crucifixion and resurrection.  Each is biographical in style and purpose.  
Each portrays Jesus as a man among men, who gradually revealed to his 
disciples his triumphant mission as the Son of God.  In contrast, the Gospel 
of John begins, not with the birth of Christ, but with a declaration of his 
Godhood.  The entire Gospel was written, it seems evident, to declare the 
divine mission of the Savior as a member of the Godhead.  Many passages in 
the Gospel of John speak of his Godhood and of his oneness with the Father.14

14Note especially chapters 1, 14, and 17.

Latter-day Saints believe Jesus Christ is a member of the Godhead, that he 
performs the work of God, is his Son, and therefore is rightly called God.  
It is natural that Jesus should speak of his oneness with the Father.  This, 
however, refers, not to their beings or natures, but to their unity of 
purpose and their harmony of function.  This is rather clearly evident in 
John 17, which speaks so much of the oneness of the Father and the Son.15  
After declaring that "this is life eternal, that they might know thee the 
only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" and after asking the 
Father to "glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had 
with thee before the world was," Jesus prayed for his disciples whom he was 
about to leave and whom he loved, and whose fate he well knew.  He prayed:

15Read the entire chapter.

"And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to 
thee.  Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given 
me, that they may be one, as we are."  (John 17:11)

In what sense were the Twelve to be one?  "… as we (the Father and Son) are."  
Farther along in the same prayer Jesus includes all believers in this oneness 
which he enjoys with the Father.

"Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me 
through their word;

"That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that 
they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent 
me.

"And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, 
even as we are one:

"I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that 
the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast 
loved me."  (John 17:20-23)

The oneness that Jesus is seeking for all men who will believe on him is not 
a oneness of being with God.  Men are to be resurrected, even as Jesus was, 
and stand before the judgment seat of God and retain their individuality 
throughout eternity.  The scriptures are clear on this point.16  The oneness 
Jesus means is a oneness of spirit, a common purpose, a harmony of life based 
on the great principle of love.  This is indicated in the last verse of this 
beautiful prayer on behalf of his disciples and all who should ever become 
his followers.

16Note, for example, 1 Corinthians 15, or John 14:1-4.

"And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it; that the love 
wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them."  (John 17:26)

Other lessons will follow which will further amplify the nature and mission 
of each member of the Godhead.  Suffice it to say in this chapter, in 
conclusion, that we Latter-day Saints respect two great principles in 
reference to both Diety and men.  We believe in individuality.  Each member 
of Diety, as each of us, is an eternal individual and person in his own 
right.  Each has his own powers of mind and soul; each has his own freedom, 
responsibility, work and glory.  We honor and are grateful to the Father, 
Son, and Holy Ghost individually.

We also believe in unity.  Even as husband and wife, who are separate and 
distinct as persons, work together for their family, so the Father and Son 
are separate and distinct Persons who work in love for the salvation of men.

These two ideals -- unity and individuality -- are not incompatible; they are 
in no sense contradictory.  Under the influence of the gospel of love, two or 
more individuals working in harmony greatly multiply their chances of life-
fullfillment for each of them.

CHAPTER 6

THE NATURE OF GOD

In an earlier chapter17 Isaiah's words were quoted:

17Chapter 4.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith 
the LORD.

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than 
your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."  (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Man cannot begin to know all there is to know about his Maker.  This we 
acknowledge freely and shall guard against elaborating the unknown.  We shall 
discuss here and in ensuing chapters a few basic beliefs entertained about 
God, the Father by the Latter-day Saints -- beliefs which are important to 
the religious and moral life of men.

MONOTHEISM

The heart of the Jewish faith, particularly as taught in Deuteronomy and in 
the Prophets, such as in the Book of Jonah, is monotheism or belief in one 
God.

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

"And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy 
soul, and with all thy might."  (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)

One reason for the rejection of Christianity by Jews generally is the 
infringement which the Christian doctrine of Trinity seems to make upon the 
pure monotheism of Judaism.

Latter-day Saints, as indicated in the last chapter, believe in three Gods -- 
the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  In that sense we differ from Judaism and 
also from most Christians, who try to make these Three into One.  Latter-day 
Saints also believe that men may learn, in the long course of eternity, to 
become perfect "even as your Father in heaven is perfect."  The goal of human 
life is Godward; it is for man to realize his full nature as a child of God.  
In the endless time which lies ahead, many good and noble children of God may 
come to understand this and be like their Creator and Father, so they will 
truly be sons of God, and grow in the direction of his likeness.  It might 
appear to the reader at this point the Latter-day Saints are not monotheistic 
in belief, but rather polytheistic.  But this is not so.

GOD -- THE SUPREME INTELLIGENCE

We are monotheistic in the sense that we believe that God, our Father, is 
unique, for he is the Supreme Intelligence in the universe, greater than the 
Son, greater than the Holy Ghost, greater than all other intelligent beings.  
In a revelation to Abraham, recorded in Latter-day Saint scripture, we read:

“These two facts do exist, that there are two spirits, one being more 
intelligent than the other; there shall be another more intelligent than 
they; I am the Lord thy God, I am more intelligent than they all.”  (Abraham 
3:19)

“And God spake unto Moses, saying: Behold, I am the Lord God Almighty, and 
Endless is my name; for I am without beginning of days or end of years; and 
is not this endless?

“And, behold, thou art my son; wherefore look, and I will show thee the 
workmanship of mine hands; but not all, for my works are without end, and 
also my words, for they never cease.

“Wherefore, no man can behold all my works, except he behold all my glory; 
and no man can behold all my glory, and afterwards remain in the flesh on the 
earth.

“And I have a work for thee, Moses, my son; and thou art in the similitude of 
mine Only Begotten; and mine Only Begotten is and shall be the Savior, for he 
is full of grace and truth; but there is no God beside me, and all things are 
present with me, for I know them all.”  (Moses 1:3-6)

This passage and the entire chapter which follows, while acknowledging Jesus 
as the Son of God and co-Creator, with the Father, of the earth and of his 
continuous and unending creation, places no limitations on God.  For “there 
is no God beside me” and “there is no end to my works.”

We acknowledge God, the Father, to be the Supreme God of the universe.  There 
is no mention in the Bible or in other Latter-day Saint scripture of any Gods 
above him or beside him.  Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are Gods working 
under him and with him.  Men who attain a God-like character and stature will 
also share in his glory and work, but he will ever be God in a unique and 
supreme sense.

The recognition of God as the Supreme Intelligence and Being satisfies the 
mind.  From all that men can learn about the universe and life, it appears 
that all things are intimately related in an orderly and law abiding way.  
The very universe appears to be one in its organization, orderliness, and the 
inter-dependence of all of its parts.  Nature appears to be unified.  It 
responds to man’s thinking as though it were itself the product of a great 
mind.  We believe that this great mind is God, as is so beautifully expressed 
in revelations to the Prophet Joseph Smith:

“All kingdoms have a law given;

“And there are many kingdoms; for there is no space in the which there is no 
kingdom; and there is no kingdom in which there is no space, either a greater 
or a lesser kingdom.

“And unto every kingdom is given a law; and unto every law there are certain 
bounds also and conditions.

“All beings who abide not in those conditions are not justified.

“For intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence; wisdom receiveth wisdom; truth 
embraceth truth; virtue loveth virtue; light cleaveth unto light; mercy hath 
compassion on mercy and claimeth her own; justice continueth its course and 
claimeth its own; judgment goeth before the face of him who sitteth upon the 
throne and governeth and executeth all things.

“He comprehendeth all things, and all things are before him, and all things 
are round about him; and he is above all things, and in all things, and is 
through all things, and is round about all things; and all things are by him, 
and of him, even God, forever and ever.

“And again, verily I say unto you, he hath given a law unto all things, by 
which they move in their times and their seasons;

“And their courses are fixed, even the courses of the heavens and the earth, 
which comprehend the earth and all the planets.

“And they give light to each other in their times and in their seasons, in 
their minutes, in their hours, in their days, in their weeks, in their 
months, in their years -- all these are one year with God, but not with man.

“The earth rolls upon her wings, and the sun giveth his light by day, and the 
moon giveth her light by night, and the stars also give their light, as they 
roll upon their wings in their glory, in the midst of the power of God.

“Unto what shall I liken these kingdoms, that ye may understand?

“Behold, all these are kingdoms, and any man who hath seen any or the least 
of these hath seen God moving in his majesty and power.”  (D&C 88:36-47

Jesus Christ has come to share in the work of God and in the influence and 
power of his intelligence to such an extent that the light of Christ and the 
Spirit of God are used interchangeably in some passages of scripture:

“He that ascended up on high, as also he descended below all things, in that 
he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, 
the light of truth;

“Which truth shineth.  This is the light of Christ.  As also he is in the 
sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made.
“As also he is in the moon, and is the light of the moon, and the power 
thereof by which it was made;

“As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were 
made;

“And the earth also, and the power thereof, even the earth upon which you 
stand.

“And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who 
enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your 
understandings;

“Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity 
of space --

“The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is 
the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth 
upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all 
things.”  (D&C 88:6-13)

We have faith in one Supreme Being.  He is our Creator and Eternal Father.  
His intelligence permeates the universe and sustains it.  All human beings 
are his children and are objects of his care and concern.  He is indeed our 
Ideal, our Guide, our Helper.  To him we can give freely of our loyalty and 
devotion.  He is in every way adequate to his purpose and his position.

HIS ENDLESS CREATION

From a vision given to Moses, and revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith, we 
gain some idea of the unlimited extent of the creations of God which still 
continue and which are wrought through the power of the Son.  The Lord had 
shown Moses many lands, called earths, with inhabitants thereon.  Moses had 
inquired as to the Lord’s purpose in his vast creation.  Here is the answer 
in part:

“And by the word of my power, have I created them, which is mine Only 
Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth.

“And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine 
own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten.

“And the first man of all men have I called Adam, which is many.

“But only an account of this earth, and the inhabitants thereof, give I unto 
you.  For behold, there are many worlds that have passed away by the word of 
my power.  And there are many that now stand, and innumerable are they unto 
man; but all things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them.

“And it came to pass that Moses spake unto the Lord, saying: Be merciful unto 
thy servant, O God, and tell me concerning this earth, and the inhabitants 
thereof, and also the heavens, and then thy servant will be content.

“And the Lord God spake unto Moses, saying: The heavens, they are many, and 
they cannot be numbered unto man; but they are numbered unto me, for they are 
mine.

“And as one earth shall pass away, and the heavens thereof even so shall 
another come, and there is no end to my works, neither to my words.

“For behold, this is my work and my glory -- to bring to pass the immortality 
and eternal life of man.”  (Moses 1:32-39)18

18Note also 2 Nephi 29, especially verse 9.

The Latter-day Saint view is theistic.  God is not identical with nature 
(pantheism); nor is he outside of and wholly apart from nature (deism).  He 
is the great Intelligence, a living, personal Being, who is continuously 
organizing and creating to bring to pass his great purpose – that of 
developing personalities, that of “bringing to pass the immortality and 
eternal (God-like) life of men.”  Jesus Christ is helping him to achieve this 
great and unselfish purpose in the lives of men.19

19We shall enlarge upon this purpose in Chapter 9.

CHAPTER 7

GOD’S CHARACTER

The scriptures are not philosophical treatises nor systematic theological 
texts.  They leave us with many questions about God and his relationship to 
man and the universe.  Writers of scripture assume God’s existence.  They 
know it through immediate experience, by intuition and by revelation.  Their 
chief interest has been practical – the religious and moral life of man, or 
man’s relationship to God and to fellow man.

To build a satisfactory relationship to God and to man it is important to 
understand his character.  In this the scriptures are not lacking.  Some 
attributes of God are stated repeatedly.  Granted our faith in his existence, 
we can be sure of his character within our capacity to know the meaning of 
his divine attributes.  We shall draw upon the Bible and Latter-day Saint 
scripture to illustrate certain traits of his character.

GOD IS JUST AND IMPARTIAL

We can rely absolutely on the fairness and justice of God.  Our own reason 
and moral nature bear witness to this fact, for how can we who believe in 
justice, worship or honor a being who is not just and fair, and who is not 
impartial in his dealings and impartiality of God.  Jesus bears witness 
thereto:

“For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have 
life in himself;

“And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son 
of man.

“Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the 
graves shall hear his voice,

“And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of 
life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

“I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is 
just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath 
sent me.”  (John 5:26-30)

Peter learned of God’s impartiality toward both Jew and Gentile.  It was a 
dramatic lesson Peter learned, and it took a little time for him to grasp its 
full import.

“Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no 
respecter of persons:

“But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is 
accepted with him.”  (Acts 10:34-35)

After Paul’s conversion to Christ, there was never any doubt in his mind 
about God’s impartial interest in all men.

“But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them 
which commit such things. …

“Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew 
first, and also of the Gentile;

“But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew 
first, and also to the Gentile:
“For there is no respect of persons with God.”  (Romans 2:2, 9-11)

“For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord 
over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  (Romans 
10:12-13)

“Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, 
Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.”  
(Colossians 3:11)

The story of Jonah, which reveals the Lord’s mercy toward repentant Gentiles 
in that great and wicked city of Nineveh, is perhaps the finest witness of 
God’s impartiality in the Old Testament.

The Book of Mormon is unequivocal and forceful in its statements on God’s 
equal regard for all men.  We quote a few passages from Nephi:

“Behold, the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one; he that is righteous is favored 
of God.  But behold, this people had rejected every word of God, and they 
were ripe in iniquity; and the fulness of the wrath of God was upon them; and 
the Lord did curse the land against them, and bless it unto our fathers; yea, 
he did curse it against them unto their destruction, and he did bless it unto 
our fathers unto their obtaining power over it.”  (1 Nephi 17:35)

“For behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you that the Lord God worketh 
not in darkness.

“He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth 
the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men 
unto him.  Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his 
salvation.

“Hath he commanded any that they should not partake of his salvation?  Behold 
I say unto you, Nay; but he hath given it free for all men; and he hath 
commanded his people that they should persuade all men to repentance.

“Behold, hath the Lord commanded any that they should not partake of his 
goodness?  Behold I say unto you, Nay; but all men are privileged the one 
like unto the other, and none are forbidden.

“For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is 
good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto 
the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of 
his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond 
and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike 
unto God, both Jew and Gentile.”  (2 Nephi 26:23, 24, 27, 28, 33)

Another Book of Mormon author, Jacob, writes:

“Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and 
free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you.”  (Jacob 2:17)

“Do ye not suppose that such things are abominable unto him who created all 
flesh?  And the one being is as precious in his sight as the other.  And all 
flesh is of the dust; and for the selfsame end hath he created them, that 
they should keep his commandments and glorify him forever.”  (Jacob 2:21)

“But he said unto them: Behold, it is not expedient that we should have a 
king; for thus saith the Lord: Ye shall not esteem one flesh above another, 
or one man shall not think himself above another; therefore I say unto you it 
is not expedient that ye should have a king.”  (Mosiah 23:7)

Latter-day Saints believe that all men are the children of a just God who 
loves them all.  He has no favorites.  He is doing all in his power to be a 
blessing and a help to all men.20

20The reasons for so much inequality of opportunity and capacity among men 
will be suggested in an ensuing chapter.  It is not God’s work nor his will, 
we firmly believe.

GOD IS LOVING, MERCIFUL, FORGIVING

It is evident to any believer in Jesus or the Prophets that God not only just 
but is also kind, merciful, and forgiving.  A few illustrations should 
suffice to remind the reader of this fact.  Isaiah, after condemning Israel 
in her sins with force and without equivocation, interjected a beautiful tone 
of mercy and forgiveness following a plea for repentance.

“Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine 
eyes; cease to do evil;

“Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the 
fatherless, plead for the widow.

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as 
scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, 
they shall be as wool.

“If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:”  (Isaiah 
1:16-19)21

21Note also Hosea 14; Ezekiel 18; Isaiah 55.

Jesus, in his own life as well as in his teaching, helped us all to know the 
love of God.  The sinner was the object of divine love as much as was the 
righteous.

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and 
hate thine enemy.

“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to 
them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and 
persecute you;

“That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh 
his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and 
on the unjust.

“For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?  do not even the 
publicans the same?

“And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others?  do not 
even the publicans so?

“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”  
(Matthew 5:43-48)

A MODERN WITNESS OF GOD’S MERCY

The doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints strengthen 
and amplify our faith in the justice and mercy of God.  They remove stumbling 
blocks to this faith and show how his justice and love are working in the 
interest of men.  (The reader will have to exercise some patience until this 
can be shown, because our full doctrine cannot be developed in a single 
chapter.)  One or two general observations and illustrations can be given 
here which bear witness to God’s justice and mercy.  In a revelation to 
Joseph Smith, it is written:

“For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance;

“Nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be 
forgiven;

“And he that repents not, from him shall be taken even the light which he has 
received; for my Spirit shall not always strive with man, saith the Lord of 
Hosts.

“And again, verily I say unto you, O inhabitants of the earth: I the Lord am 
willing to make these things known unto all flesh;

“For I am no respecter of persons, and will that all men shall know that the 
day speedily cometh; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand, when peace 
shall be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have power over his own 
dominion.”  (D&C 1:31-35)

God’s love and mercy are shown in the Latter-day Saint doctrines concerning 
life after death.  Through the ages men have talked of heaven and hell, the 
latter having been described as a place burning with fire and brimstone, 
where the wicked would suffer eternal damnation.  In a revelation to Joseph 
Smith, it is explained that eternal punishment does not mean endless or 
everlasting punishment, but rather God’s punishment, he being an eternal 
being.  Likewise, eternal damnation does not mean everlasting damnation, but 
rather the condemnation of God.22

22See Doctrine and Covenants 19:1-21.

Our Father in heaven loves all men.  His desire, like that of his Son, is not 
to condemn the children of men, but to lead them into paths of truth and 
righteousness.  He does not, in anger, thrust them down to hell.  Hell, as 
the Book of Mormon teaches, is a condition of the mind, a state of remorse 
and torment, which follows naturally from shallow and immoral living, from 
being out of harmony with the laws of God, which are also the laws of life, 
the laws of our own natures.  Well did Jeremiah say of ancient Judah and her 
wickedness:

“Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of 
their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, 
but rejected it.”  (Jeremiah 6:19)

“Do they provoke me to anger?  saith the LORD: do they not provoke themselves 
to the confusion of their own faces?”  (Jeremiah 7:19)

Latter-day Saint teachings bear witness again and again to the impartiality 
and love of God toward all of his children.  Here we can only mention a few 
ore illustrations of these attributes of God.  In later lessons they will be 
developed more fully.  According to our doctrine, the unbaptized infant is 
not damned but is saved in the Celestial Kingdom of God by the redeeming 
grace of Christ.  Likewise, the heathen and those who have died without 
knowing the laws of God are not lost, “For the power of redemption cometh on 
all them that have no law.”  (Moroni 8:22)  All men will have opportunity to 
hear the Gospel of Christ, to understand, accept, and live by its life-giving 
principles.  If the opportunity is not forthcoming here, then it will be in 
the life to come.  All men will receive a degree of salvation commensurate 
with their desires, their faith, and their good works.  This is the divine 
will and plan.

GOOD AND EVIL

As we live out our days on the earth, we experience much that is good and 
much that is evil.  Different individuals, moreover, experience good and evil 
in varying amounts and, it would seem, not always according to their merit.  
Jesus recognized this fact when he said:  “… for he (the Father) maketh his 
sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on 
the unjust.”  (Matthew 5:45)  And again when he contrasted the two lives – 
one built upon his teachings, or a rock, and one built upon his teachings, 
but on sand – he said of both “And the rain descended and the floods came, 
and the winds blew, and beat upon that house;”  (See Matthew 7:24-29)

The righteous are not spared from evil.  They, too, suffer from cancer, 
become involved in war and accidents, and suffer evil from their fellow men 
in countless ways.  Religion gives them the hope, courage, and love with 
which to meet the vicissitudes of life.  That is their blessings.

EVIL IS REAL

We accept the reality of evil.  Evil is not an illusion, a figment of the 
imagination.  Human suffering and pain are real whether they come from 
natural or human causes.  Cancer causes great suffering and so does a 
drunken, brutal, or unfaithful husband.  Hitler’s concentration camps were 
real, and the agony experienced there was as real as any joy of life.

Evil we might define as anything which hinders, frustrates, and prohibits our 
realization of a Christ-like life.  Ignorance and sin are our greatest evils, 
the source of nearly all others.

GOD IS GOOD

Good we might define as anything which builds life, which helps men to 
realize the purpose of life – to find joy and lasting happiness through 
living in harmony with the will of God.  Health, beauty, wisdom, sincerity, 
humility, and love we look upon as being good because they mean life-
fulfillment on a Christ-like plane.

It is the teaching of the Latter-day Saints that God is not the author nor 
the creator of evil.  He is wholly good in both intent and action.  
Therefore, he promotes only that which is good among the children of men.  
This we would except, judging by his other attributes of character -- his 
justice, mercy, love, and fatherhood.  Let us in the remaining paragraphs of 
this chapter give evidence of this assertion.  

Jesus thought of the Father as being good:

“And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good?  there is none good but 
one, that is, God.”  (Mark 10:18)

He contrasts the character of the Father with men’s evil nature:

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall 
be opened unto you:

“For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him 
that knocketh it shall be opened.

“Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a 
stone?

“Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how 
much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that 
ask him?”  (Matthew 7:7-11)

James is quite explicit in removing from God the responsibility for moral 
evil.

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall 
receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love 
him.

“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be 
tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

“But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and 
enticed.

“Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is 
finished, bringeth forth death.

“Do not err, my beloved brethren.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from 
the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of 
turning.”  (James 1:12-17)

The Book of Mormon is most emphatic in its rejection of the idea that God 
might be responsible for evil:

“Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from 
his hand.  For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and 
in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works.”  (Jacob 4:10)

“Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil 
cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against 
him continually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is 
evil continually.

“But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good 
continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, 
and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God.

“Wherefore, take heed, my beloved brethren, that ye do not judge that which 
is evil to be of God, or that which is good and of God to be of the devil.”  
(Moroni 7:12-14)23

23Note also 2 Nephi 26:23-33 and Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, pp. 69, 70.

Latter-day Saints acknowledge the goodness of God.  We are grateful to him 
for every good gift of life and for life itself.  We visualize him as a Being 
who is working ceaselessly to bring about that which is good in the lives of 
men.  He is not hateful, revengeful, jealous, or the object of fear as we 
know these passions in human experience.  Hate and revenge are not consistent 
with Christian love as revealed in Jesus Christ, and “God also is love.”  It 
is one of his great attributes.  Jealousy in human experience is mixed with 
hate and is rooted in feelings of inadequacy and inferiority.  God does not 
hate his children; neither does he feel inferior to any person or object.

The evil in life is not due to God, but to other factors – to the eternal 
nature of the elements and to the eternal and free nature of man.  These we 
shall deal with in ensuing chapters.

To know that God is wholly good enables us to love him with all our hearts, 
minds, and souls.  We can trust him.  Such a God invites our deepest 
gratitude, our complete loyalty, our full devotion and adoration.  With him 
we can keep faith and aspire with all of our power to serve him.

PART 3

THE LATTER-DAY SAINT DOCTRINE OF MAN

(COMPRISING CHAPTERS 8 TO 11)

CHAPTER 8

THE NATURE OF MAN

We have by no means exhausted our study of God, but we feel at this point the 
need to discuss some of the basic doctrines concerning man, because an 
understanding of the nature of man will further enhance our understanding and 
appreciation of God.

In this chapter we shall tell the story of the entire life of man as 
understood by the Latter-day Saints.  The story will be brief and will raise 
questions without answering them fully; but this over-all view is needed and 
may furnish a helpful background for a more detailed discussion of some of 
the fundamental doctrines of man.

MAN IS ETERNAL

Most Christians, when they contemplate the origin of man’s life, recall the 
verse in Genesis which reads:  “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of 
the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became 
a living soul.”  (Genesis 2:7)  According to this generally accepted view, 
the existence of each of us as a person began with our creation or birth on 
earth.  Eternal life, to most Christians, means that man, whose life began at 
birth, will survive death and live everlastingly.  The word eternaI, however, 
means more than life everlasting.  Eternal means without beginning or end.  
Latter-day Saints believe that man is eternal in the full meaning of the 
word.  We recognize, of course, that life on earth has a beginning and an 
end.  We recognize, of course, that life on earth has a beginning and an end.  
We believe, however, that just as the spirit survives death, it also precedes 
birth; that man lived before he was born in the flesh.

The idea that we lived before we were born on the earth may be difficult at 
first to grasp or to accept.  We are accustomed to experiencing life in terms 
of beginnings and endings.  The sun rises and sets; the seasons come and go; 
civilizations rise and fall; creatures are born and die.  The concept of 
eternity – no beginning or end – may be foreign to the everyday consciousness 
of many people.  This fact does not make the idea impossible or unreasonable.  
For centuries men of science have believed that the universe in which we 
live, “matter,” “energy,” “the elements,” or whatever we choose to call its 
essence, is eternal, without beginning; and that it is simply characterized 
by change.  Religious men, including writers of scripture, have spoken of God 
as a Being “without beginning of days or end of years.”  If both the universe 
and God are eternal, is it beyond reason to believe that there is something 
in man, in each of us, that is also eternal?  Latter-day Saint scripture 
bears witness to the eternal nature of man’s intelligence.

“Man was also in the beginning with God.  Intelligence, or the light of 
truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be.”  (D&C 93:29)

“Howbeit that he made the greater star; as, also, if there be two spirits, 
and one shall be more intelligent than the other, yet these two spirits, 
notwithstanding one is more intelligent than the other, have no beginning; 
they existed before, they shall have no end, they shall exist after, for they 
are gnolaum, or eternal.”  (Abraham 3:18)

These scriptures clearly indicate that there is something in each of us and 
in every human being, an original intelligent nature, which is self-existent, 
not created by God, but rather co-eternal with him.  God and men are both 
eternal intelligences, members of a vast society of eternal beings.

This doctrine need not detract from our appreciation of God nor from his 
creative role in our lives.  For in this society God is “more intelligent 
than they all.”  And because of his vastly superior knowledge and benevolent 
character he is our God, our guide, ideal, teacher, leader and Father, and is 
guiding man in his journey to eternal life.  God is seeking to develop, 
enlarge, and bring to full self-realization the souls of men, for he has 
declared:  “… this is my work and my glory – to bring to pass the immortality 
and eternal life of man.”  (Moses 1:39)  

Little is known about our eternal, intelligent nature, but it is clearly 
indicated that free agency is part of man’s original nature.

“All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act 
for itself, as all intelligence also; otherwise there is no existence.

“Behold, here is the agency of man, and here is the condemnation of man; 
because that which was from the beginning is plainly manifest unto them, and 
they receive not the light.”  (D&C 93:30-31)

Free agency is not a gift of God in the ultimate sense; it is part of man’s 
very eternal nature.  God, who is also a free agent, and who knows the 
meaning and worth of freedom, is doing everything in his power to guard, 
vouchsafe, and increase the freedom of men.  He is on the side of freedom, 
and he respects it as innate and essential to man’s eternal nature.  He who 
works to diminish or destroy the freedom of man is an enemy to God because 
freedom is inherent in man and essential to the realization of his purpose in 
life.  If man, in his original state, had capacity for freedom, he may well 
have had other powers of mind and a measure of individuality.  We do not know 
more of this original state of man.

The implications of this doctrine of the eternal and free nature of man are 
significant.  This doctrine means that God did not create man in a complete 
and ultimate sense of the word.  God “found” intelligence and the elements24 
already in existence.  He took what he had, what was available, and proceeded 
from that point to create or organize man and, out of his great love and 
wisdom, to do everything possible for him.  God is, therefore, not completely 
responsible for man and the universe in which man lives.  Man, too, is 
responsible because of his eternal and free nature.  God is not the author of 
evil; evil lies in the nature of the elements and in man’s ignorance and 
immoral choices.  (We shall develop this thought more fully in a later 
chapter.)  Let us proceed with the story of man’s eternal life.  A chart may 
help.

THE ETERNAL LIFE OF MAN

 Pre-earth life
Earth-life
Post-earth life
Intelligenc
e
Spirit-
child of 
God
A mortal
A spirit
A 
resurrected 
being

24See D&C 93:33.

MAN BECOMES A CHILD OF GOD

Sometimes during our pre-earth life the eternal, uncreated intelligence of 
man entered a new stage of existence.  It became a spirit-child of God the 
Eternal Father.  Thus did man enter a new relationship with the greatest 
Intelligence and Character in the universe.  God added to man’s original 
nature something of his own divine nature.  Man became, in embryo, more God-
like in nature and aspiration.

More is known of this stage of man’s existence than is known of his original 
intelligent state.  Man is now, without question, a social being, a free 
agent among other free agents.  In this state of his existence he is a 
conscious, thinking, moral agent capable of spiritual and moral growth.  
Leaders emerge among these vast numbers of spirits, among whom Jesus Christ 
is pre-eminent.  In a revelation to Abraham, given through Joseph Smith, we 
read:

“Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were 
organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the 
noble and great ones;

“And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of 
them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that 
were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, 
thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born.

“And there stood one among them that was like unto God, …”  (Abraham 3:22-24)

When youthful Jeremiah, prophet to the Kingdom of Judah in the Seventh 
Century BC, hesitated to accept the prophetic calling, the word of the Lord 
came to him, saying:  “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and 
before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained 
thee a prophet unto the nations.”  (Jeremiah 1:5)  Latter-day Saints, 
believing in the eternal nature of man, have interpreted this passage as 
meaning that God knew Jeremiah as his spirit-child in the pre-earth life and 
that Jeremiah was foreordained (not predestined) by his character and life in 
the pre-earth existence to assume the role of prophet during mortality.

How do we know that man lived, a spirit-child of God, before he was born in 
the flesh?  The passage just quoted from Jeremiah and others which imply the 
pre-existence of men may be interpreted also as meaning God’s foreknowledge 
rather than man’s pre-existence.  A pre-earth life for man, we acknowledge, 
cannot be clearly and indubitably established by the Bible, although it is 
strongly intimated by this wonderful but incomplete record of God’s 
inspiration and revelation to man.

The Gospel of John leaves no question about the pre-earth existence of Jesus 
Christ.  (See John 1:1; 6:38, 62; 8:56-58 and 17:3-5)  An indication of 
Jewish belief in pre-existence is indicated in the question put to Jesus on 
the following occasion:

“And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.

“And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his 
parents, that he was born blind?”  (John 9:1-2)

The distinction between our mortal and spiritual creation is made in Hebrews, 
although the time of our spiritual creation is not mentioned:

“Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave 
them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of 
spirits, and live?”  (Hebrews 12:9)

This Latter-day Saint teaching concerning the pre-earth life of man and his 
relationship to Deity is clearly established through Latter-day revelation.  
The Church invites everyone to evaluate the doctrine on its own merit.  If it 
does not contradict any fundamental teaching of the Bible, and if it gives 
new enhanced value and meaning to man’s life and to his relationship to God, 
then it is deserving of serious consideration.

In summary, it can be said of man before he was born in the flesh that he was 
an eternal intelligence with capacity for freedom and the moral life.  He 
then became a child of God with God-like qualities enriching his original 
nature.  In his pre-earth life as a child of God, he lived a purposeful 
existence with other persons like himself.  Knowledge was gained and choices 
were made as man was given opportunity to fulfill the measure of his 
spiritual creation.

EARTH LIFE

Man’s life on earth is no accident.  It is not the product of chance, of 
blind, impersonal forces operating in their own power.  Man’s life on earth 
is the planned and purposeful work of God the Father and his Son Jesus 
Christ.  Latter-day Saint scriptures throw interesting and increased light on 
the beautiful Biblical account of creation.  While we were still living with 
God in our pre-earth state, the Father and Son planned the mortal life of man 
with our knowledge and hearty approval.  It is written:

“And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto 
those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we 
will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may 
dwell;

“And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things 
whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;

“And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep 
not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those 
who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have 
glory added upon their heads for ever and ever.”  (Abraham 3:24-26)

The exact manner or detailed process of the creation of the earth and man’s 
life on the earth is not told.  We do not know just how God created man, nor 
when, nor how long it took.  These are details which are not given clearly in 
scripture and which are not important compared with the great religious 
principles and facts taught in the creation story.  We subscribe to the 
wisdom of the late Anthony W. Ivins, a member of the First Presidency of the 
Church:

“The word of God recorded is never given as a hypothesis, but as a definite 
fact.  In relation to the creation, the word declares that:  ‘In the 
beginning God created the heaven and the earth … And God said, Let us make 
man in our image after our likeness … So God created man in his own image, in 
the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.’  The exact 
process by which this was accomplished, we do not know, nor is it essential 
that we know it, the fact is sufficient, and it will never be disproved by 
scientific research or otherwise, because it is the truth.”  (Conference 
Report, October 1925, pp. 19-28)

With the author of Proverbs, we are assured that God is Creator and there is, 
therefore, divine wisdom and meaning in man’s life on earth.  In him is our 
confidence and our trust.

“The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he 
established the heavens.

“By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.

“My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and 
discretion:

“So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.

“Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.

“When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, 
and thy sleep shall be sweet.

“Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when 
it cometh.

“For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being 
taken.”  (Proverbs 3:19-26)

Man was placed on the earth to learn, to grow in moral and spiritual stature, 
to develop the God-like qualities of his life.  We are here to be tested, to 
prove ourselves, to walk by faith, to use our free agency and increase in 
freedom, to learn how to live with one another, to be a blessing to one 
another, and an aid to each other’s growth and development.  As Latter-day 
Saints we affirm life.  We accept it as being purposeful and potentially 
good.  It was no accident.  It is not meaningless.  “Adam fell that men might 
be; and men are, that they might have joy,” declares the Book of Mormon.25

252 Nephi 2:25.

A specific purpose of earth-life, within and contributing to the larger 
purpose of man’s spiritual growth, is the obtaining of a mortal body.  Our 
mortal natures gives us unique opportunities for moral and spiritual growth.  
It enables us to have children, to be creative partners with Deity in the 
development of personality.  It also affords opportunities to develop our 
social and moral natures, to exercise free agency and self-control, and to 
learn in ways unique to mortality.  Furthermore, we believe that in the 
resurrection we shall have claim on this mortal body “which corruption,” to 
quote Paul, “must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on 
immortality.”  (1 Corinthians 15:53)  With a resurrected, tangible, and 
spiritual body, man has the capacity for a fullness of life in the 
“eternities” to come.

“For man is spirit.  The elements are eternal, and spirit and element, 
inseparably connected, receive a fulness of joy;

“And when separated, man cannot receive a fulness of joy.”  (D&C 93:33-34)

The receiving of a mortal body is a preparation for man’s highest and fullest 
nature as a resurrected being.

The Gospel plan of life was to be given man to guide him in his earth-life.  
Jesus Christ himself would reveal it to his prophets, and would come to earth 
to persuade men to hunger and thirst after righteousness.  Man’s free agency 
would be respected; love, even sacrificial love, would be relied upon to win 
men’s hearts and minds to the will of God.

LIFE AFTER DEATH

He that is born of woman must die.  In the beautiful words of Job:

“Man that is born of woman is of few days, and full of trouble.  

“He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down:  he fleeth also as a shadow, 
and continueth not.”  Job 14:1-3)

This is the realistic and somewhat cynical view.  Life may not only be full 
of trouble, it may also be full of joy; but it is as fragile as a flower or 
as a beautiful piece of china.  The apparent great tragedy of life is that it 
must come to an end through old age and death, or even be cut down in youth 
as a rosebud is plucked in a garden without its own consent.

The apparent tragedy of life is greatly tempered by our Christian faith that 
though a man die, he shall live again.  To the believing Latter-day Saint, 
death is simply the separation of spirit and body.  The body returns to dust, 
to the elements from whence it came.  The spirit returns to God who gave it 
life, to be judged by him.

When Christ hung on the cross between the two malefactors, the one, pentitent 
and recognizing the glory of the Savior, said “… Lord, remember me when thou 
comest into thy kingdom.  And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, 
To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”  (See Luke 23:39-43)  Jesus 
Christ, while his body lay in the sepulchre, went to the spirit-world and 
brought a message of hope and salvation to men like the malefactor and to 
others, as is attested by Peter:

“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that 
he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by 
the Spirit:

“By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;

“Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited 
in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, 
eight souls were saved by water.”  (1 Peter 3:18-20)

“For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that 
they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God 
in the spirit.”  (1 Peter 4:6)

Latter-day Saints believe that life in the spirit-world, a time between death 
and the resurrection, is also a meaningful, purposeful stage in man’s eternal 
life.  The Book of Mormon teaches that the righteous will enjoy a condition 
of peace called Paradise; those who have done evil and wasted their probation 
in mortality will suffer remorse and anguish, the natural fruit of shallow 
and evil living.26  Their lot is not hopeless, however.  They are not 
condemned to eternal punishment.  A God of mercy and love would have no 
pleasure in such a fate.  During the spirit-state, many will teach the Gospel 
to the spirit-children of God and give them an opportunity to exercise faith 
unto repentance and to accept the Gospel, be forgiven, and to continue their 
eternal life on a plane of purposeful and spiritual living.

26See Alma 40.

The final state of man, already alluded to in this chapter, is the 
resurrected state.  All the gains of man’s previous life will rise with him 
in the resurrection.

“Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise 
with us in the resurrection.

“And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through 
his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage 
in the world to come.”  (D&C 130:18-19)

All men will be resurrected, the just and the unjust, and will receive a 
glory and a new opportunity commensurate with their desire and the quality of 
their living.  Only those who are utterly dead “as to things pertaining unto 
righteousness,” who have lost all power of faith and repentance, will be 
lost.  The rest of mankind has a future, one that may become increasingly 
meaningful and fruitful, depending on man’s own desire and effort.

CONCLUSION

In the Latter-day Saint story of man’s life there is challenge and promise.  
Life is potentially good and purposeful.  God and Christ are doing everything 
in their power “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal (God-like) life 
of man.”  Man, too, is a free and moral agent, responsible in good measure 
for his own progress, and also for the welfare of his fellow men.  He 
possesses a great capacity for intelligent and righteous living.  He will 
never be content nor happy except as he learns to realize his full nature as 
an eternal intelligence and a child of God.

The next few lessons will deal in more detail with some of the important 
doctrines concerning the life and nature of man.

CHAPTER 9

THE PURPOSE OF LIFE

Life with its opportunity to learn, to create, to know friends and loved 
ones, to see and feel beauty, to play, laugh, and work, is a priceless 
possession.  It should be spent for the highest possible good.

To live out our days on earth, be they few or many, with fullest meaning, we 
must discover that which is most worth while and then pursue it with all our 
hearts and minds.  No doubt we have all observed that life is most 
significant when we are working for definite goals and is most confusing in 
prolonged states of worry and indecision.  When we play an interesting game, 
plan for marriage, build a home, take a vacation trip, or begin an exciting 
new job, life is zestful.  If single and limited goals bring adventure and 
meaning to us, think how a single, all-inclusive goal would unify and give 
significance to the whole adventure of living!  We crave such unity and 
exhilaration.

Jesus recognized this need when he warned us against pursuit of any partial, 
limited goal which would not satisfy or save a man’s soul:

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose 
his own soul?  Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?  (Mark 
8:36-37)

Religion should offer to man a satisfactory explanation of the purpose of his 
life.  It should give to him a goal which he can understand and incorporate 
into his daily life to serve him as a guide in all his thinking and action.  
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offers to man a most 
inspiring and challenging interpretation of the purpose and meaning of his 
life.  It is indicated in scripture.  Jesus said:

“… I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more 
abundantly.”  (John 10:10)

“These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and 
that your joy might be full.”  (John 15:11)

“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”  
(Matthew 5:48)

These and similar passage clearly reveal the Savior’s acceptance of earth-
life and his great desire that men would come to live it fully, richly, and 
more perfectly.  Two Latter-day Saint scriptures tie in beautifully with the 
passages quoted above.  The first, from the Book of Mormon, reads:

“Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.”  (2 
Nephi 2:25)

The second, from the Pearl of Great Price reads:

“For behold, this is my work and my glory – to bring to pass the immortality 
and eternal life of man.”  (Moses 1:39)

LIFE-AFFIRMATION

“Men are that they might have joy.”  Christ came to teach men how to live, 
that mortality might prove to be a rich and rewarding experience.  Religion 
is not here to save us from eternal hell nor simply to lead us to heavenly 
bliss.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan of life, which, if lived, will 
help us to satisfy our needs as children of the earth and as children of God.  
It will lead us to self-realization and self-fulfillment.  Life will increase 
in power, meaning, and satisfaction as we learn to live as Christ and our 
Father wish and ask us to do.

The goal of life does not lie outside of man, in his possessions, or in some 
external reward.  Man does not exist, as some have taught, simply to glorify 
God.  The purpose of our existence lies within us.  What we seek is more 
life, more abundant life, the realization of our highest powers and our 
noblest desires.

GOD – OUR IDEAL

Life at its best, in its fullest and highest development, in its ideal, is 
the life we seek.  The greatest life in the universe is the life of God.  His 
glory is intelligence and great is his wisdom.  He is just and impartial, 
merciful, forgiving, and loving.  He is creative, ever bringing into being 
new things after the image of his own mind and heart.  His glory is to serve 
others, to see his children grow in moral and spiritual stature, to see them 
increase in knowledge and wisdom, in justice and mercy, and become more free 
and creative.  God wishes to share with us the richness and goodness of life 
which are his for.

“… this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and 
Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”  (John 17:3)

The word eternal has two meanings:  (1) In the previous chapter we noted that 
eternal means without beginning or end.  This is the quantitative meaning of 
the word.  We noted that both God and the intelligence of man are eternal, 
without beginning or end.  (2) The word eternal also has a qualitative 
meaning as it is often used in scripture.  It means a God-like fire.

God is eternal in both a quantitative and qualitative sense.  His life is 
everlasting, and it is also wholy righteous and fruitful for good.  Man’s 
life is everlasting, but it lacks quality as we know it now.  We need to 
overcome ignorance and sin and become more like our Father in heaven, to grow 
into his likeness, for he is the Person in whose image we were made.  We are 
his children and have partaken of his nature.  And, while there is a vast 
difference between him and us in degree, still we are like him in kind.  Out 
of his great love he is trying to lead us to the abundant life which is his, 
revealed to us in the life and teaching of Jesus Christ.

A wise and loving earthly parent desires only the happiness of his children.  
He knows, too, that this can come only as they develop in mind and character 
and learn to live useful and productive lives in society.  Their joy is his 
joy; their glory is his glory.  So it is with God.  Men wee not created 
simply to serve God.  Men are that they might have joy, the lasting and 
increasing joy which comes from God-like or Christ-like living.  God’s joy 
and glory is to lead us, his children along the path of righteous, joyous 
living.

NO ORIGINAL SIN NOR ASCETICISM

Latter-day Saints reject the idea of original sin, the doctrine that all men 
share in the guilt of Adam, inheriting his sin, being therefore evil and 
depraved by nature.  We believe that Adam was a noble son of God, not a 
sinner.  He chose to come to earth to take upon himself mortality and a 
knowledge of good and evil that he might enjoy the great opportunitites of 
growth which earth-life affords.  Through Adam we, too inherit mortality and 
death – and also a knowledge of good